What Can Be Done about
Reckless Driving?
Lisa Sgarlato
Our mountain community has suffered the cruelest
of wake-up calls. Not less than three months after the tragic death
of Nate Mlyniec comes the loss of two more of our beloved youth,
Tyler and Shane Barclay. All three boys died in speeding vehicles.
None of the accidents involved drugs or alcohol. I don’t know a
single person who isn’t asking, what can be done to teach our youth
that they are not immortal? In my discussions with friends that I
grew up with in Los Gatos, the first comments out of our mouth’s are
"it could have easily been us… remember when…?" Even my father told
stories about evading the police and racing Highway 17 when it first
opened, and how every year since the 40s, a student from Los Gatos
High has died in a car accident.
Learning the lesson
At the memorial service for Shane and Tyler,
there were at least 200 teenagers. There have been a few comments
about kids partying in the parking lot, but the truth is there
wasn’t enough room to hold everyone in the Pavilion, and many people
were left to stand outside. Many groups of friends gathered in the
parking lot to commiserate. There was no alcohol served. I was
deeply moved by parents Shannon and Dan Barclay, who rose above
their grief and spent most of the service speaking to the peers of
their children about not blaming just the driver and that they need
to learn the lesson of their sons’ tragic deaths. They pleaded to
not take chances with their lives.
Every Two Minutes
Coincidentally, Los Gatos High School was
planning a program for the senior class called "Two Days...Two
Minutes," because every two minutes someone is either injured or
killed in an alcohol-related collision in the United States. This
two-day event is presented so that students will think about the
serious consequences of drinking and driving and other risk-taking
choices. Occurring just two weeks after his death, the program was
dedicated to Tyler Barclay, their classmate.
Police, CHP, Fire, and emergency medical
responders give students a serious look at the reality of risky
behavior behind the wheel. The Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police
Department placed a display on the Los Gatos High School lawn Monday
morning—a trailer containing a crushed automobile, reminding
students of the results of poor judgment. A "graveyard" was placed
on the front lawn. Shortly after, students dressed as the grim
reaper visited classrooms and marked seven students for "death" in
fictional accidents. The remaining senior class attended assemblies
over two days where they saw crash videos, heard emergency
personnel, and visited a "mock funeral." Los Gatos/Monte Sereno
Police Chief Scott Seaman gave an emotional speech that brought
tears to his eyes, reflecting on past years in which he encountered
young people of our communities who died unnecessarily from
substance- and alcohol-related crashes caused by excessive speed,
failure to use a seatbelt, cell phones, and other distractions.
Santa Clara County Fire Department Captain Jason Falarski, who
graduated from LGHS, shared his experience of classmates dying in
automobile crashes, and spoke to them about the grim realities he’s
seen and how the "LG fantasy life can quickly change." They were
followed by the "living dead," saying good-bye to their lives and
their parents giving a series of gut-wrenching eulogies. The final
speaker was Ben Winkelman from LGHS, class of 2000. He shared his
experience of losing his close friend and classmate, Jeff Peckler,
in 1997, when Jeff, his father, and sister were killed by a drunk
driver.
The objective was to provide the students and
faculty of Los Gatos High School a powerful, shared education
experience and an open and honest schoolwide dialogue about alcohol,
driving, safety, and personal responsibility. The program will be
repeated next year for the entire school. For many of the students,
the message was heard especially because of Tyler’s, Shane’s, and
Nate’s deaths.
But more can be done. The schools can only do so
much. To continue having an effect, we must pull together and
continue to back up the message. If you have drivers under 25 in
your life, talk to them. Tell them the stories of these deaths even
if it’s your neighbor or someone you see driving too fast down your
road. Reach out, tell them to be safe and tell them that driving is
a privilege.
The following letter was written by Shannon
Barclay, mother of Tyler and Shane. I read it to the senior class
during the assembly. Pass it on to a young driver you know.
Hello. My name is Shannon Barclay. I
really wish I could be there in person. I’m still in a state
of shock but hopefully my voice will be heard. On November
3, at 2:37 p.m., both of my sons were killed in a tragic
accident. Tyler, "Ty-Ty" as I called him, was seventeen, a
senior, and classmate at Los Gatos High School. Also killed
was my 22-year-old son Shane, ‘Shanie’ Barclay. Before Tyler
came to Los Gatos, he attended Eldorado High in Placerville.
He chose to be baptized at fifteen. If you asked him, he
would say he was "a strong Christian." He was honored with
the "Who’s Who of High School-2005," had perfect attendance,
and a 3.87-grade-point average. Tyler had dreams. I’d like
to share, just a part, of his freshman report:
This Is My Life
My freshman year in high school, (right
now,) I am playing football here and hopefully swimming in
the fall. I did swim competitively once and that was for
junior lifeguards in Santa Barbara, but I am hoping to again
swim. In football I hope to get the cornerback position. I
played that position last year, and I did okay. I had four
interceptions and did pretty good all around when I wasn’t
making interceptions. Another thing I like to do is
socialize with my friends, and mostly girls. I mean if God
put them here, he put ‘em here for a reason. I’m not going
to let all these pretty girls go to waste.
When I get older I would like to be an
air force fighter jet pilot. Ever since I was a little kid
I’ve always wanted to be a fighter pilot. It just looks so
awesome. If I don’t become a fighter pilot, I still want to
serve in the military. After I serve in the military, I
would like to have a beautiful wife and two kids, a boy and
a girl. I would name the boy Shane and the girl Gianna or
Kennedy. Along with the kids, I would want a good-sized home
in a nice residential area. My home would include a white
picket fence, with a white and brown beagle running around
in it. Also along with the white picket fence and beagle, I
would want a nice lawn that wraps around my pool. As for the
near future, the way I dream it...I’m me playing football,
and having one of the most prettiest girls at school be my
girlfriend, and closest friend.
My dreams do seem a little old fashioned,
but, hey, I like it like that.
Tyler Barclay
Tyler was killed
instantly. He will never see his future. The first to arrive
on the scene said "Shane was gurgling and gasping for air."
As the car was so embedded in the dirt, all he could do was
hold my baby’s hand till he passed. Driving the car was my
nephew Donavon. Tyler and his cousin were only three months
apart and were like brothers. The 1995 green Saab sedan they
were riding in skidded out of control on a curved, rural
stretch on Laurel Glen Road. Traveling at approximately 88
miles per hour, he hit an overgrown root in the pavement,
instantly flipping the car thirty feet in the air as it
slammed into a redwood before embedding in the embankment.
No other cars were involved in the crash. Thank God.
The investigation by the
CHP indicates that all three in the green Saab were wearing
seat belts and that drugs and alcohol were not involved, so
it was ruled an "accident." The number one factor in this
case was speeding. With Shane as a passenger, his cousin was
just doing what he knew. Trying to impress his older cousin
by showing off.
Not fifteen hours before
this accident, Shane was also a passenger with another
cousin. He went with him to pick up his new truck at a
dealership in Santa Cruz. Just as Donavon did, Rick was also
trying to impress Shane. Twenty minutes later his brand new
truck was totaled in a rollover, speeding. This was
amusement for Shane. Did he learn? No, the only thing he
thought was "Wow," then he would run.
Last year, Tyler had been
drinking at a party in Soquel. He got behind the wheel
wasted, speeding down San Jose Soquel Road, he hit a lady
head-on. Tyler crawled out of the totaled car and ran. The
woman was airlifted to the hospital. She sustained
life-altering injuries. As a result, her life and family’s
lives were changed forever. Tyler was charged and convicted
of his crime. Did he learn?
I never thought in a
million years that I’d be handed a brown paper bag. On a
table sat my babies each in a square, cold, cardboard box.
Each box looked like a package. Their names on each box but
missing an address. I wanted to write; "return to sender."
But I don’t have to. The postmaster in this case is God.
Try to imagine putting
your children in the trunk of your car, then aimlessly
wander around Capitola Mall trying to find a container to
put your children in. Imagine walking out with two small
crystal candy dishes. It’s still so surreal.
When you get behind the
wheel of a car, drinking or not, know that you are taking on
the responsibility of not only yourself but other drivers.
It takes only a split
second to shatter a life. Take a moment to step up. Make a
change. Save a life. "You control your destiny."
Never forget that you also
control the lives of others, as well.
If one person here could
put my words into action then it would start a new
beginning.
Then your children will
learn from you. One day we will have a new generation. The
"Santa Cruz Mountain Boys" will have a legacy of "strength,
courage, and responsibility." They can be leaders,
contributors to making their community a respected place.
I’m so grateful to be
blessed with the unconditional love and support from the
mountain family and all who helped. Learn to live life by
saving a life. Choose to make a change. Appreciate every
moment. So you will never have to reflect on those lost
moments.
God Bless to everyone.
Shannon Barclay
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